needles. vectors. words. laughter.

Weekend Coffee Share (12/3-12/4)

Welcome to Weekend Coffee Share, courtesy of Part Time Monster. It’s called Weekend Coffee Share. You write what you’d say to a friend if you were having coffee on a weekend afternoon; what’s going on in your life and/or what’s on your mind.

(Just a note: I’m really rambly tonight. I’d like to think it’s because I’m typing, rather than talking. Don’t think I’d make anyone sit through all this in person.)

If we were having coffee, I’d whine about how exhausted I am. The week wasn’t too bad, just the two last two days were super crazy.

Yesterday evening was Lizzie’s party which meant the whole day was spent explaining to Lizzie that it wasn’t time for her party yet (“Friends here yet?” “Cake yet?”), distracting her from the party prep progress Matt was making, and, when she finally went down for a nap, working on putting up decorations and readying paper goods. In the morning, we went to two different grocery stores then Walgreens, all in a combined attempt to kill time until a reasonable lunch hour and get some things for folks’ stockings. Lunch from Popeye’s and that blessed nap. Her party was fun but chaotic. I crashed by nine.

This morning, Matt wasn’t feeling well (sore throat, low grade fever), so he texted me when she was up. I sleep downstairs when one of us is sick or he wants to go to bed early (or, you know, I want to stay up to knit longer). So I went up a bit after seven and grabbed her. Did the usual snuggle routine while watching cartoons. Eventually Matt came downstairs and I made us breakfast – eggs, bacon, toast.

It was clear that I needed to let Matt sleep (or at least rest) and that meant getting Lizzie out of the house. We decided we’d try Tyson’s Corner. [It’s the largest mall in the area, for those not from around here. If you can name a brand, there’s probably a store for it there. It’s crowded on a typical weekend day.] It’d just opened for the day and it’s still quite awhile before Christmas. Snagged a spot at the top of the parking garage, after Lizzie insisted we park outside.

Things were going OK after we grabbed some lunch. Then, the escalator tried to eat her or something. Thankfully, I didn’t wind up going down without her because a stranger carefully put her onto the step behind me then held the folded-up stroller while I calmed her (Lizzie, that is) down. One of the first times I ever heard her say she was scared.

She stared at Santa between the fake trees. We went up the elevator, she freaked out for some reason, so we went back down. Then it was back out to the car (“Leave mall, pwease”). Less than an hour.

But, she didn’t want to go home. “One more store.” My mind raced and I picked a big shopping center not super far away. She, of course, crashed in the car and was still asleep when we got there. I, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to find a restroom. One quick photo FB post and I got her out to go into the first store I knew had a restroom.

We wound up getting gift boxes (only $2!) and more gift bags at Michaels then she was obviously done so we went home. I somehow managed to convince her to play with the Play Dough set someone had given her for her birthday up in her room. Which lasted until just before Matt decided to bring our Christmas tree inside. (His dad had brought it down the day before in his truck, from whatever farm in Pennsylvania he picked to buy from this year. I’m sure he told us where and what kind, I just sort of nod along.)

Jostled to get her to be out of our path. Got the tree up, lights and ornaments on. Lots of “Lizzie, be careful” and “No, there are still ornaments in that box” later, that is. Oh, and she has our old, fake tree in her bedroom now. The top set of lights don’t work but she put her little felt ornaments all over it and it looks half decent. She loves it, which is what matters.

Decided we didn’t want our first plan for dinner so ordered Chinese food. I stupidly got out the plates and silverwear way, way too early. So lots of Lizzie almost poking herself in the eye with chopsticks and whining for food. Food came, mess was made, eventually trash collected and leftovers put away.

She begged to watch Curious George so we popped in the first DVD. Her dad wanted a lollipop so she had one, too. Except they’re homemade and didn’t set right so they didn’t stay on the sticks, really. Sticky mess. She handed hers to me so I assumed she was done and tossed it. Minor tantrum and cleanup of sticky hands later and had a new “pop.” Which she bit into, of course, and got stuck to her teeth. So she ate most of her dad’s popsicle (yeah, lollipop and popsicle in one night, one of those evenings for us all).

And now she’s asleep. Part of me just wants to climb into bed now. Part of me wants to stay awake and watch what I want on TV or knit or whatever. All of me is happy I got so much Lizzie Time…and happy I’ll get a break from her tomorrow.

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One thought on “Weekend Coffee Share (12/3-12/4)”

Aw, glad you got so much Lizzie Time. She sounds wonderful. The part about “one more store” made me think of my older daughter (now 12) when she was a toddler. She loved to do marathon shopping, never tiring. She would always say “one more store” because she loved being out and about and didn’t want to go home. Nice memories.